Process for producing thermoplastic sheets

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to the process of producing thermoplastic, smooth and/or corrugated tile type board, based on new polymers or polymeric waste, pure and or composed of various plastics, whether or not chemically compatible, with or without fillers, natural/industrial/mineral/animal, individually and/or combined up to 80% by lamination process, in single or multilayer form, using various melting process mechanisms; and also allowing the interlayer and/or superficial introduction of bodies, rigid or flexible, for the purpose of structural reinforcement and or surface finishing, characterized by using an extruder that delivers a large volume of plastic mass to the lamination line, where the already laminated plastic mass passes to the molecular fixing line, through cool pressing plates, moving into to the cutting line, through the side cutting and dividing saw, being the product sent to completion section, through the square cutting and deposition on distribution table.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a National Stage of International ApplicationNo. PCT/BR2020/050393 filed on Sep. 30, 2020, which claims the benefitof Brazilian Application No. 102019020658.6, filed on Oct. 1, 2019, theentire contents of each hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD

The following descriptive report for the disclosure relates to theprocess of producing thermoplastic, smooth and/or corrugated tile typeboard, based on new polymers or polymeric waste, pure and or composed ofvarious plastics, whether or not chemically compatible, with or withoutfillers, natural/industrial/mineral/animal, individually and/or combinedup to 80% by lamination process, in single or multilayer form, usingvarious melting process mechanisms; and also allowing the interlayer andor superficial introduction of bodies, rigid or flexible, for thepurpose of structural reinforcement and or surface finishing.

BACKGROUND

Lamination is a plastic forming process that involves the passage of abody between two cylinders so that its thickness decreases, while thewidth and length of the body are proportionally increased.

The polymer lamination process is known, for example, the documentFR9700305 describes a process for the manufacture of thermoformablesheets and/or plates from a temperature of 80 C/90 C, usable as aself-adhesive reinforcement material, characterized by the fact that:from 30 to 70% by weight of granules of low melting weight (50 C to 90C) polymer(s) thermoformable from a temperature of 80 C-90 C with 70 to30% by weight of melt point polymer(s) melting or higher softening ingranules or in powder with a granulometry greater than about 500 μm,preferably from 500 to 1000 μm, both types of polymers beingthermoplastic and fully or partially compatible, with possibly the usualadditives, the mixture is extruded in low shear conditions with lowtemperatures of 100 to 140 C giving the mixture a pasty consistencyinsufficient to form a homogeneous mixture of molten polymers, afterthis extrusion and eventual addition of a support (9, 12) in theextruded product, the product is rolled or calendared under highpressure at a temperature of 100° C. to reduce the thickness and cooledto a temperature below 30° C. before the end of rolling or calendaring.

Lamination is not used in any other polymer processing.

It consists of an idea of product formation through lamination, wherethe classical volumetric variations, derived from typical oscillationsin the waste or new polymers extrusion, with flow index variations fromextrusion to injection molding indexes.

SUMMARY

The description of the present disclosure is done by means ofrepresentative drawings of the thermoplastic board production process,such that the product can be fully reproduced by suitable technique,allowing full characterization of the functionality of the claimedobject.

As shown in the images that express the best or preferable method ofmaking the designed product, the descriptive part of the report isbased, through a detailed and consecutive numbering, where it clarifiesaspects that may be implied by the representation adopted, so as toclearly determine the intended protection.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

All images are for illustration purposes only and may vary whereas theydo not evade the original claim. In such cases:

FIG. 1 shows the complete production unit containing the extruder,lamination/thermofixing line, screw saw and receiving table;

FIG. 2 shows the extruder;

FIG. 3 shows the lamination and hardening line;

FIG. 4 shows the thermofixing line by plates;

FIG. 5 shows the side cutting saw, dividing saw and haul off; and

FIG. 6 shows the completion of the process with square cutting andreceiving table.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The thermoplastic plate production process uses an extruder (1) withtemperatures from 100 to 450° C., which delivers a large volume ofplastic mass to the lamination line (2), where the already laminatedplastic mass passes to molecular fixing line (3), through cool pressingplates, passing to the cutting line (4), through the side cutting sawand dividing saw, being the product sent to completion through thesquare cutting (5) and deposition on distribution table (6).

Plastification/gelling/melting of the mass shall be by:

a. Extrusion by a high pressure and diffusion extruder (1), up to 1000bar pressure, fed by a high pressure doser system (1.1) high pressurecompacting (1.2), up to 500 bar, in order to provide a uniform in feedand minimize density bulk variations in waste; and,

b. Optionally plastification/gelling/melting can be performed by othercontinuous or batches plastification systems.

The introduction of a lamination system (non-calendar) offers plasticmass absorption from an extruder or any other continuous or batchesplastification system, accumulating an important volume, therebycompensating for volumetric variation, and then forming the product viathe laminator cylinder and not by flat die, in others words, it absorbshere the typical volumetric variations in waste extrusion.

Another innovation presented is that, throughout a multiple laminatingsystem, it allows the recompression/hardening of the mass in order toreduce internal expansions from typical waste gases, thus allowing theproduction of profile up to 200 mm thickness, in width of up to 6,000mm.

Also, the project foresees the molecular fixation, in addition to thelaminator cylinders, through the introduction of a cool pressing platessystem, offering molecular fixing until the complete thermalstabilization of the product.

The production process involves inserting the gelled mass by means suchas flat die (2.1) for pre-opening the mass into the first laminationgroup (2.2) into an accumulator (2.3). Ensuring the absorption ofvolumetric oscillations from the laminating equipment, being formed theprimary profile of the final product. After that, the pre-formed mass isby hand and/or automatically moved into the second lamination group(2.4), where the recompressed mass, pre-hardening and gas exhaustion bycompression phase (2.5) occur, cool plates held in between the twogroups (2.6) to start molecular fixing. In the second lamination group,the material automatically runs towards the next lamination groups, forhardening (2.7), always intermediated by cool pressing plates (2.8 and2.9), until it reaches a molecular fixing (2.10) point ensuring thefinal geometry desired.

After completion of lamination, a first puller (3.1) up to 50,000 kg/fpulls the formed product (3.2), and sends it to a group of pressingboards (3.3), until final molecular fixing desired.

In the same process, the produced board (3.2) is cut to define desiredwidth through the side cutting saw (4.1), divided lengthwise accordinglyprofiles width and number definition, automatic lengthwise cut, throughthe dividing saw (4.2), being the material pulled by a second puller(4.3), where this ready material is cut by the square cutting saw (5)and automatically sent to a reception table (6).

Additional inline surface finishing options such as texturizing,machining, polishing, grinding, brushing, printing, grooving, paintingand hot stamping.

1. A thermoplastic board production process includes using an extruder,with temperatures between 100 and 450° C., which delivers a large volumeof plastic mass to a lamination line, wherein the already laminatedplastic mass passes to a molecular fixing line, through cool pressingplates, passing to a cutting line, through a side cutting and dividingsaw, and being the product sent to a completion section through a squarecutting and deposition on a distribution table.
 2. The thermoplasticboard production process according to claim 1 including: (a) theintroduction of a gelled mass by means such as flat die for pre-openingthe mass into a first lamination group into an accumulator; b) afterthat, the pre-formed mass is by hand and/or automatically moved into asecond lamination group, where the recompressed mass, pre-hardening andgas exhaustion by compression occur, where cool plates are holdingbetween the two groups to start molecular fixing; c) in the secondlamination group, the material automatically goes towards the nextlamination groups, for hardening, always intermediated by cool pressingplates, until it reaches a molecular fixing point ensuring the finalgeometry desired; d) after completion of lamination, a first puller upto 50,000 kg/f pulls the formed product, and sends it to a group ofpressing boards, until final molecular fixing desired, where, in thesame process, the produced board is cut to define desired width, throughthe side cutting saw, divided lengthwise accordingly profiles width andnumber definition, automatic lengthwise cut, through the dividing saw,being the material pulled by a second puller; and e) this ready materialis cut by the square cutting saw and automatically sent to a receptiontable.